Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor detects your pulse

And it looks like Nintendo's answer to Microsoft's Project Natal is... a pulse detector. Yep, Ninty's just announced the Wii Vitality Sensor, a finger sensor which attaches to the Wiimote to read your pulse. Details on how the accessory is going to be used in games are pretty vague, but it appears the idea is to check stress, help you relax, and just generally chill out and be groovy. That won't happen for a while yet, though: the Vitality Sensor was described as a "look into the future," so we're guessing we've got a wait in store.

Update: Check out the full press release here.

[Jay6464 @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:04PM]

And doesn't it just blow your mind.... Nintendo actually thinks that a pulse reader is the future??

[inteller @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:21PM]

wow...I would NEVER allow a game console to take my pulse.

"911 What is your emergency?"

"I took my pulse with my Wii and it says I'm dying!!!!"

"Sir that isn't you dying that is Nintendo's future"

[Flit @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:27PM]

Packaged for free with WiiFit Plus, this would have been a good addon/tracker for the excercise group. Since they totally missed that opportunity, this will be the most useless peripheral since ... well, ever?

[Quix @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:50PM]

@ inteller:

I bet you were predicting the death of Nintendo when the Wii was launched. I wonder how all that turned out?

LOL.

Keep crying into your RROD. Nintendo owns this generation. A simple fact - backed up by actual data. Sorry.

[superhobo @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:34PM]

The guy in the picture can barely stop himself from bursting out laughing.

[Dibs on his CD player @ Jun 6th 2009 8:45PM]

Perhaps some sort of deathclock...

[Jon Acheson @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:04PM]

Great, it can beep if I fall asleep while people are playing their games.

[trainwrecka @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:18PM]

funny --- +1 for you!

[tom @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:36PM]

Lie detector?

[Heimbachae @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:53PM]

EPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIL

[micklol @ Jun 2nd 2009 4:19PM]

http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/04/iwata-says-nintendo-plans-to-go-easy-on-the-accessories-for-now/

they just keep making crapgadgets...seriously, nintendo should have their own crapgadget section.

[retroblu @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:51PM]

@tom
my thoughts exactly...play some "I Never" w/ your friends

[Mark Anderson @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:16PM]

@Quix

Nintendo won this generation. Sony won the one before. Microsoft look like winning the next.

Now go stick your face in a blender.

[Chris @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:44PM]

@Quix
It's a joke. Why do you have to be so offended?

[berniebh @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:05PM]

omg...next thing you know...we'll have an ECG reader coming with out Wii...

[Templarian @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:05PM]

Could this be any boring. Half their games are Mario... we get it.

[Kris @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:06PM]

Nintendo has jumped the shark.

[AVG @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:23PM]

They jumped it with Wind Waker. They're just being eaten alive by the sharks now while grandmas and young girls throw money at them.

[Peter Moore @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:40PM]

Hey, Windwaker was awesome.

They jumped the shark at E3 2007, imo.

[dajimmers @ Jun 2nd 2009 4:16PM]

I would have said they jumped the shark when they called their system "Wii," but look how that turned out.

[Nomi @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:07PM]

This is stupid. I hate Nintendo now.

[Dan @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:09PM]

next up, WiiPolygraph

[Steven M @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:13PM]

Or a Wii Thetan Meter

[Wwhat @ Jun 2nd 2009 3:26PM]

Bah the theatan meter uses skin resistance, you'll have to wait for the next big controller release.

[Microdot @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:09PM]

its like its the worlds most drawn out prank. nintendo is just fucking with us all now, laughing their asses off behind closed doors.

"lets see if theyre stupid enough to buy THIS!"

[djmanoloco @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:21PM]

LOL your comment was hilarious. Had to close the door to my office. Your comment is so true. I gave up on the Wii awhile back. It's a joke.

Concenrned Nintendo Fan: "Hey Nintendo we want better online gaming and HD graphics."
Nintendo: "Fuck you! Buy our Vitality Sensor and add it to the stockpile of other useless acessories you will use for a week you bitches."

But hey it isn't Nintendo's fault that consumers continue to buy stupid ass things. Now let me see a fanboy defend this piece of work.

[LongshotX @ Jun 2nd 2009 9:28PM]

This is why I hacked the shit out of it. Got a drive loaded with games.

[L @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:11PM]

Probably used for some achievements in horror games..."Puls under 100 after surprise zombie attack achievement unlocked" etc.

[broli @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:14PM]

"Crapgadget achievement unlocked."

[grull27 @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:31PM]

Too bad the Wii doesn't even have achievements!

[wnr @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:13PM]

I imagine something like a biofeedback application to go with wii fit. Beyond that, I've no clue what they could want to use this for.

[mahmud @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:14PM]

does it detect your pulse or is it just a pO2 sensor like they have in hospitals?

[Josh @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:56PM]

I work in a hospital. The Sp02 finger probes detect oxygen levels AND pulse.

[tekd @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:27PM]

It's a pulse oximeter by the looks of it so it should be able to do both, essentially by shining light through your finger. Depending on how much light gets absorbed it can estimate how much oxygen is in your blood and depending on how the light comes back in bursts it can tell your pulse.

[Mark @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:17PM]

This E3 presentation from Nintendo was just sad. Two games look decent enough to buy(Mario Galaxy 2 and the Metroid Game) but nothing groundbreaking or new. I think everyone else is just destined to get trounced by MS this year.

[Nomi @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:22PM]

I'm essentially a Sony fanboy (owned ps1,ps3,psp) and I find it hard for Sony to beat MS this time around. Unless they come out with the slimline version...their biggest news got leaked which sucks beyond anything.

PSP Go looks like its going to pwn.

[shaunisadirty @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:30PM]

Ummm, sorry no. PSP go is the ugliest piece of crap to come out since the virtual boy.

[wamerocity @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:17PM]

Wow, a pulse Oximeter. Now all they need is the Wii blood pressure cuff, glucose blood sugar monitor, and a microsoft to listen to your heart sounds, and then they can released the much coveted "Wii Checkup". I'll be camping out overnight for sure.

[wamerocity @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:19PM]

that was supposed to say MICROPHONE, not microsoft. Doh.

[Mark @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:20PM]

Microsoft is listening to my heartbeat?!?!?!?! AHHH!!!!!!!

[grull27 @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:32PM]

lolol +1 for marc

[postmastersteve @ Jun 2nd 2009 2:04PM]

Dude, a device that gets me any closer to "playing doctor with th' ladies using my Wii" is full of win.

[trainwrecka @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:20PM]

Seems cool enough. I hate the wire aspect, but I'll hold off judgement until it is released. Everything else Ninty has released since 2004 in the hardware market has went over pretty well.

[Fnuky @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:21PM]

Wow... I used to categorise Nintendo as one of the few companies that genuinely "got it" and hold the Wii and DS up as two of the most brilliant examples of challenging the status quo, innovating and expanding your market.

But the best they can come up with after 3 years of making piles of cash on Wii is a heart rate monitor? That's just... er... wow.

[Mads @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:21PM]

Its funny like Microsofts announcement yesterday this might also be ready around next years E3.
And i guess if it was Microsoft who was announcing this they would have made a 15 mins long video showing a family sitting in their living room, laughing and having a fun time with this new pulse reader and how it can control the world, and afterwords say that this surely would revolutionize the gaming industry, and everyone would agree.

But the nintendo way of showing 2 pics and then leave... well... its the Nintendo way, but atleast you won't get any false expectations.

[Mark @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:26PM]

I think it's pretty safe to say that the MS announcements were in a completely different league. A pulse monitor doesn't even compare to 1080p 5.1 surround sound movie/tv show downloads, ability to download full current games, and full body motion capture that basically turns the console into the computer from Minority Report.

[inteller @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:32PM]

uh no we wouldn't agree. Plus with the thing Microsoft is making, it can probably read your vitals by looking at you then sit and have a conversation with you about why you are all hot and bothered.

I'm just waiting for the first Photochop that shows someone wearing all of this Wii junk. It will become the new symbol for all the crapgadget $hit nintendo is pushing. I imagine the person would resemble a white borg.

[DDd @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:22PM]

WEAK very WEAK as always Nintendo tastes a little sucess by selling electronic scales and fucks the pooch by doing the same old shit. Not one new IP, nothing really relevant but they will still have great sucess because all yuo mofo are dumb shit bastards that buy all the shit as long as it has the Nintendo logo on it.

[tkdee @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:22PM]

The only thing interesting I can think of would be if they made it so your character's performance was somehow tied to your pulse. Aside from that if it's just to try and get you to relax, that's pretty lame.

[guitaristicny @ Jun 2nd 2009 1:23PM]

This could be cool if used well. Imagine a video game like Max Payne where you can enter bullet time if your heart beats fast or slow enough.